Trigueros del Valle, a town of 300 inhabitants, has approved a declaration
which seeks to "dignify" the lives of dogs and cats and gives them special
protections
Dogs and cats will be given special protection in Trigueros del Valle Photo: Alamy
A town in the north of Spain has become the country’s first to grant cats and dogs special rights as “non-human neighbours.”
Trigueros del Valle, a town of 300 inhabitants in the province of Valladolid, has approved a declaration which seeks to “dignify the lives of dogs and cats, animals which have shared with man thousands and thousands of years and have been a great help to him.”
The initiative is an attempt to protect those animals from cruelty and
abuse, as well as acknowledging their importance in the town, which is
situated in an agricultural area. Besides the symbolism of the decree,
it also means the town hall will take responsibility for any abandoned
cats and dogs and it will rebuke owners who mistreat their animals.
“It seems to me a very important, historic declaration, like, for
example, the day that children’s rights were enshrined for the first
time,” Mercedes Cano, an animal rights campaigner who was involved in
the move, told Cope radio.
“Trigueros del Valle is a place where people love animals, they have lots of dogs and cats,” she said. “People coexist with them and often work with them.”
But she added that despite the overall respect that animals enjoy in the town, they still suffer occasional abuse.
“We’re not saying you have to love cats and dogs, but you have to respect them,” said Ms Cano. “If you respect them, then you’ll respect the other [human] neighbours as well.”
Spanish animal rights campaigners complain that this time of year is a particularly cruel one, due to the many local fiestas that take place. Just 30 miles away is Tordesillas, where every summer locals chase a bull through the town and gradually spear it to death.
In 2002, the northern town of Manganeses de la Polvorosa ended a yearly tradition of throwing a goat off the top of its church tower.
source
“Trigueros del Valle is a place where people love animals, they have lots of dogs and cats,” she said. “People coexist with them and often work with them.”
But she added that despite the overall respect that animals enjoy in the town, they still suffer occasional abuse.
“We’re not saying you have to love cats and dogs, but you have to respect them,” said Ms Cano. “If you respect them, then you’ll respect the other [human] neighbours as well.”
Spanish animal rights campaigners complain that this time of year is a particularly cruel one, due to the many local fiestas that take place. Just 30 miles away is Tordesillas, where every summer locals chase a bull through the town and gradually spear it to death.
In 2002, the northern town of Manganeses de la Polvorosa ended a yearly tradition of throwing a goat off the top of its church tower.
source
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